Hongbo had no idea what Ye Liuyun had bought, but judging from the hushed talk between him and Hei Teng—and the repeated swapping of storage rings—he could guess the haul was huge

He suspected Ye Liuyun had flashed too much wealth; the seasoned sharks who haunted this place would have marked him as an easy mark. So Hongbo had already sent a covert voice transmission, warning Ye Liuyun to watch for tails

Ye Liuyun answered with a grunt and stayed alert, sweeping the area with his divine sense. Sure enough, he caught the occasional, seemingly casual probe—always from the same few people shadowing them

Still, he didn’t leave. Golden pupils flared as he scanned the stalls for anything better. Nothing turned up—only a handful of Inner-Disciple alchemists from Void Pill Sect, cloaked in black, hawking their own pills

All were merely fifth- or sixth-level Unity, yet they could refine seventh- or eighth-grade True-tier elixirs—no small talent. Lacking backing and resources inside the sect, they could only barter their own concoctions for cultivation supplies

With a flash of crimson pupils Ye Liuyun wove an illusion: a world overflowing with spiritual energy, limitless herbs, abundant resources, and master alchemists capable of crafting Void-tier pills ready to mentor them

The “master” of that world offered them a chance to enter. Starved for resources and overlooked at home, every one of them took the bait, agreeing to wait for orders and gather at a designated spot so Ye Liuyun could take them along

Only then did Ye Liuyun and Hongbo exit the black market. First they’d cut off the tails, then deal with Hei Teng, and finally subdue the Void Pill disciples

They hadn’t gone far when Ye Liuyun’s divine sense picked up two groups closing in—over twenty each, led by an early ninth-level Unity cultivator, the rest all seventh or eighth. Under normal circumstances such a force could rob them without breaking a sweat

Ye Liuyun pretended not to notice and kept luring them onward. When he sensed Hei Teng’s soul mark racing toward him as well, he finally stopped and waited

One group was shrouded head-to-toe in black, only eyes visible. The other strode up bare-faced, openly surrounding them—clearly planning outright robbery

Hongbo stepped forward at once. “Boss Ge, Boss Hidden-Robe—long time no see. This friend of mine isn’t actually rich. How about giving me some face...”

Before he could finish, Boss Ge sneered, “Hongbo, what face do you have in front of us? Is your face worth more than prime source power?”

Laughter erupted behind him

“Master, since they’ve moved, they won’t back down,” Hongbo warned, realizing these men wouldn’t let them go

The black-robed leader cut straight to it: “Hand over your valuables and scram, or die.”

“Master, should we strike first?” Hongbo asked urgently; he knew Ye Liuyun had plenty of hidden strength and feared the disadvantage if the enemy acted first

Ye Liuyun agreed—these fighters were decent; killing them was a waste. Better to keep them as combat assets or sparring partners. Instantly he released his clone, froze time, and planted slave seals on every last one

Their sea of consciousness had almost no defenses. With his stronger temporal power, Ye Liuyun didn’t even need the clone—he subdued them all alone

Time resumed. He ordered the two leaders to summon every subordinate

Hongbo’s jaw dropped. “They’re already under control? What technique did the master use to subdue so many in an instant?” He dared not ask aloud

Ignoring Hongbo’s shock, Ye Liuyun swept everyone into his spatial world and waited alone for Hei Teng

Soon Hei Teng entered the range of Ye Liuyun’s divine sense. He sensed Ye Liuyun in return; their soul strength was evenly matched

“Hmm? Where did the two groups chasing him go?” Hei Teng wondered

He paused only a moment before continuing. He assumed Ye Liuyun had used some stealth method to shake the them

“No one around—makes things easier,” he thought

A mere fourth-level Unity cultivator like Ye Liuyun didn’t register as a threat. Besides formidable soul power, Hei Teng possessed illusion-casting crimson pupils and a hidden true cultivation—confidence brimmed.

Hei Teng moved just as fast. In the span of a few breaths he had already closed the distance to Ye Liuyun, proof that his mastery of spatial power was nothing to scoff at

Wrapped head-to-toe in black robes, he assumed Ye Liuyun wouldn’t recognize him. Yet Ye Liuyun was the first to activate his crimson pupils, wanting to see whose illusion would prove stronger.

Hei Teng instantly felt the mental assault; while driving it back with his own soul force, he retaliated with his own crimson gaze.

Their red eyes—one targeting the soul, the other the flesh—employed different vectors yet both cast illusions

The disadvantage, however, lay squarely with Hei Teng. The Myriad God Seal in Ye Liuyun’s sea of consciousness flared with golden light, blocking every illusion hurled at him. Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun’s crimson pupils wreaked havoc on Hei Teng’s mind. Had Hei Teng not possessed the same crimson eyes—and thus an intimate understanding of illusion—he would have crumbled under the assault.

Realizing this, Hei Teng immediately released his cultivation pressure, preparing to strike Ye Liuyun outright.

After confirming the effect was about what he expected, Ye Liuyun had no intention of letting the attack land. He invoked the power of time, yanked the Teng Serpent’s soul straight into his own sea of consciousness, and began a soul-search.

Through that search, Ye Liuyun verified that Hei Teng truly originated from a separate world of vicious beasts—a realm without humans, teeming with countless species. And yes, a Dragon Clan did indeed exist there.